Network components, such as servers, switches, and routers, are often placed closely together in network operations rooms. The network components comprise network ports that are communicatively coupled with cable, wire, or optical fiber. When performing network maintenance, a network technician in one example needs to determine which network components are coupled with each other. In one example, the network technician maintains a list of the network ports and their connections and labels each network port. In another example, the network component comprises a button that causes a light emitting diode (“LED”) on the network component to blink. For example, the network technician presses the button on the front of a selected server in a rack of servers which causes an LED on the rear of the selected server to blink. The network technician then moves behind the rack of servers and looks for the blinking LED to distinguish the server.
UID (unique identifier) blink is used to identify network adapters within a server or to identify the server itself. This identification cannot, currently, be done remotely, however, to identify which port a network adapter on the server is plugged into. Administrators must label network cables or follow them to identify problems in the network. Unfortunately, the administrators cannot easily locate a port on a network device when it is located in a separate room or office. Typically, they are able to identify connections only by keeping complex cable diagrams or labeling cables.